


Loving Truly

by VampirePaladin



Category: Wonderland - Natalia Kills (Song)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fairy Tale Style, Princes & Princesses, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 17:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was a witch.  He was a prince charming.  They were never meant to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loving Truly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inelegantly (Lir)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lir/gifts).



She walked through the muddy streets of the village. Her basket was in one arm and her hood hid her face from all but the most curious. She moved slowly by choice, not necessity. The bottom of her dark blue dress was made heavy from all the mud hanging off of it. The houses she passed were uniform in their shabby appearance. People stopped to look at her as she passed, but none approached her and not a word was uttered in her presence.

It was not the sound of hooves, for the mud muted them, but the sound of metal that warned of the approaching horse. Down the road came a mighty horse with clean coat and well-kept gear. In the saddle was a man in armor. His hair flowed in the wind. He had a smile that could melt even the nastiest of hearts. His armor was ornate and moved easily. The horse moved at an easy pace until it was near the woman. Then the man gently stopped the horse.

“My good woman, I am in need of some assistance. Do you have the time to answer a few questions?”

She looked up at him and that perfectly sculpted face. When her face was visible to others the villagers warded themselves against the evil eye and avoided meeting her gaze.

“I’m in no hurry and can answer your questions.”

“Thank you. I have been told that a witch has been turning maidens into statues in this region.”

“What you have heard is true.”

The man’s face relaxed. “I am not the best with navigation and feared that I was lost. Could you give me directions to the witch’s home?”

“I can, but it is deep in the forest and there is no road leading to her house.”

The man tapped his saddle horn with one armored finger as he thought. “I suppose it would be asking too much for you to lead me there?”

“Without something in return, yes.”

“Is there something that you would like?”

“How about this: I will lead you to the witch as long as you let her go after you have freed the maidens.”

There was a spark in the man’s eyes as he looked her up and down. He seemed to be considering her in a completely different manner than he had before. “As long as the maidens are all alive I will agree to that.”

“Follow me,” she said as she turned to lead him back the way she came.

That was how Moira, the witch, and Prince Jasper met. She led him back to her home where he smashed an amulet of her's, freeing the cursed maidens from the spell. All were alive and well. He kept his word and let her leave without any harm coming to her.

 

In another forest far away and on a day many months removed, Moira cooked at her campfire. She danced and sang as she did so. It wasn’t something she did with any particular skill, it was just for her own enjoyment. When Jasper on top of his horse emerged from the surrounding forest she stopped.

“I should have guessed it was you,” Jasper said a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Is this the third time that you have been at the root of some enchantment or another evil deed that I have had to put a stop to?”

“Fourth, actually.”

“Right, I forgot about the fish. Do you mind?” He gestured towards the fire.

“No, go right ahead.”

Jasper dismounted. He tended to his horse before he took some of his rations and sat down next to the fire to start eating.

“So, my cousin and his wife are having a bit of a problem,” Jasper said in between bites of dried fruit and meat.

“Oh? What sort of problem.”

“It would seem that they made a deal with a witch. They promised their firstborn child in exchange for help with a plague that was sweeping through their people.”

“That sounds horrible. Are they going to give the child up?”

“Well, the witch made a deal with them. If the queen could guess her name she would get to keep the baby. I was wondering if you would have any idea of a name that she might guess.”

“I could make an educated guess, but what would I get in return?”

“How about my name?”

“I already know your name, Prince Jasper.”

Jasper laughed and said, “Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best offer. How about if I be utterly charming for an hour? I am very good at it, being charming. It was a large part of my education and I received top marks for it.”

“You have to be joking.”

“Well, maybe a little bit, but I can see you are smiling, good woman.”

Finally, Moira laughed, just a little bit. “Fine, be charming at me for an hour and I will help you guess the witch’s name.”

Jasper set his food aside and rose to his feet. “The good woman, possessing hair as dark as the deepest night, but a heart as pure as winter snow’s light. She who guides the avenging arm, so mighty Prince Jasper might stop a witch’s harm. A beautiful soul that none do see, oh how I wished she were with me.”

“Stop. Stop. Stop. That was… horrible. I thought you said you were charming?”

“I am charming, but I never said that I was skilled at poetry.”

“Yeah, definitely not your strong suit.”

“Then how about the good woman join me in a dance,” Jasper said as he held out his hand.

“There’s no music.”

“Nonsense, you danced well enough earlier without any. Besides, if there were a witch nearby surely she could do something about it.”

Moira took his hand and let him pull her to him. Music began drifting through the leaves. It was nothing like what would be heard in the courts. It was more like what the peasants would play at festivals. 

“Are you sure you can dance in that armor?”

“Good woman, I can do a cartwheel in it.”

They smiled as they danced, laughing each time one stepped on the other’s foot. After they grew tired of dancing they resumed the horrible poetry. Before dawn Moira whispered her name in his ear.

 

Witches don’t get happy endings, true love, or riches. A prince was to end up with a princess or with a clever peasant. It was just the way the world worked. Moira knew all of this. There was no way for her to have a happy ending. She didn’t care.

“Remember, you have to scream and sound scared enough that a knight has to come. Tell them that I almost ate you before you escaped,” Moira said.

“I don’t know. I mean you are kind of scary looking but you aren’t that mean and the priest says it isn’t good to lie.”

“How about I sweeten the deal? What if I gave you a bag of sweets and gingerbread?”

“That's a good deal. Throw in some licorice and I’ll have my brother come over to be held prisoner?”

“It’s a deal.”

The little boy left and sent his brother to see Moira. She made him some tea and talked a little while they waited. It was a few hours later that a very familiar horse and rider approached.

“Help me! Save me! The evilest of evil witches is going to eat me,” the boy yelled after Moira nudged him with her foot.

“Unhand that young lad or face the fury of my steel,” Jasper said.

“You don’t stand a chance against my dark magic.”

That was the boy’s cue. He conveniently “stole” a key from Moira to unchain himself. He took off running past Jasper and toward home. A bag filled with the payment for a job well done was clutched to his chest.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Jasper said.

“Witches eating children is a classic.”

“Not that. I mean all of this sneaking around.” Jasper dismounted and led his horse to a strong tree. He removed the saddle before tying him off.

“I’m the wicked witch. You’re prince charming. That’s just how it is. We both have our roles.”

“I know.” He fumbled through his saddle bags until he found something wrapped in a soft looking cloth. “I brought you a present.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I don’t know what is the current fashionable gifts for courting witches, but my sister gave me some advice.” He held out the bundle.

Moira took it. She could feel the warmth and life from inside. Curious, she opened the cloth to reveal a tiny, sleeping, black and white kitten. She was not entirely sure what the meaning of the gift was. Was the kitten meant for her supper? Was it to be part of her enchantment?

“My sister said that in all the best stories that the witch has a cat familiar. I noticed you didn’t have one last time. Is it alright?” He fidgeted and his nervousness was written on his face. The gesture was sincere. 

Moira was not the type of witch to use a familiar and she never saw much of a need for one. The kitten would be more useful butchered for the ingredients she needed in her magic. Moira stepped closer to Jasper and kissed him on the cheek.

“It’s perfect. Exactly the kind of cat I was looking for as a familiar.” She took his hand in hers and pulled him inside her current home. 

Armor and clothing came off as Moira showed him just how much she appreciated the gift.

 

Months passed and turned to years. Jasper didn’t come back. It didn’t matter how many men she cursed into toads or how many women she tricked, he didn’t come to stop her. She tried to tell herself that it was just how their world worked. He had found his true love and was set for his happily ever after. She was a witch, the vehicle by which others found their happy endings. It still hurt.

Damsel, now a fully grown cat, was always with her. She was no familiar, but she was a comfort to Moira. The cat reminded her that there was a time when she had the love of a prince, even if she wasn’t his true love.

It was on a cold autumn day that Damsel became very interested in the front door, but had no desire to actually go outside. It annoyed Moira to hear the cat crying at the door like she needed to go out, open the door and then for the cat to run back to the bedroom.

The knock came around noon. Moira hoped it wasn’t a fellow witch trying to dupe people into eating poisoned apples. It was always so embarrassing to end up targeting or being targeted by another witch. She opened the door to find a great beast standing on his hind legs. He was wearing the remnants of what was once expensive clothing.

“Look, I’m not the kind of witch that does random good deed. But I’ll give you a freebie. You’re just suffering from a Beauty & Beast curse. Find your true love. Show her the good inside of you. Yadda yadda yadda. True love’s first kiss and you’ll be back to your usual princely self.”

“I already know that,” the beast said in a voice that was something between a man’s and a wolf’s.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Moira, don’t you recognize me?”

She looked at his face, studied it. “You found your true love, Jasper?”

“No, I mean yes, I mean I don’t know.”

“Well, which is it?”

“She isn’t the one I want to be with.” Jasper reached out and took Moira's hand with one clawed forepaw.

“I’m not your true love.”

“But I truly love you.”

The two kissed. It was one of the more awkward kisses as he wasn’t human anymore, but it was a kiss that meant something to the two of them. Prince Jasper was still a beast when they pulled apart.

Moira was not Snow White, Red Riding Hood or Cinderella. She was a witch that the fairy tales never gave a true love to, but none of that mattered. He was her prince, her beast. She was his beauty, no matter what anyone said about her looks. 

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
